One Letter
by ViviBlack
Summary: An explanation, a memory of love, a surprise, an unexpected consquences when ignored, there is so much that one letter can hold. Fred/Oc, can be read as cannon.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. **

_Hello, everyone! Now this is a story idea that I've had for a long time and several times I've started it but could never finish it. The characters might seem a bit familiar as well as parts of the story itself to anyone who read the beginning of my story Out of the Shadows. This is in fact that story revamped you might say. The difference is that this is a story wrapped around a letter. The letter itself is important and the story falls in on adding explanations to why this letter was written. Hopefully if you read this it won't confuse you too much and I hope you enjoy reading this. ~ Vivi_

Prologue

_The Delivery_

_Dear George,_

_ I'm hoping that you'll read this as soon as you get it but I know it might be far too much to hope for. I would think that getting this letter or any letter that mentions Fred at the moment would feel like a kick to the chest, but I knew that if I wait any longer, that I will never be able to write this particular letter. There is so much that I must tell you. I hope that you'll open this and read it the moment you get it but if you don't, I prey that one day you will finally pick it up and read it fully to understand its full importance. Oh, how I wish that it was possible to come and tell you all of this personally but instead I must rely on this letter and the hope that you will read this letter. I could begin by telling you how much your brother, your twin meant to me but to do that you would have to know more about me that what you or Fred, ever did. _

_June 4, 1998..._

George Weasley looked up as the bell over the door rang out. "Oi, we're not reopened yet. It'll still be a day or two before..." He trailed off as he eyed the dark-haired female who stood eyeing him from across the room. "I know you, you're..."

"Sian Alcott," she nodded. "My cousin, Celeste, she... uh..."

He nodded not wanting to hear the end of this particular sentence. It was still too hard to hear his brother's name some days. "That's right. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Well, actually, Celly sent me." She moved gracefully across the showroom towards him. There was something different that he just couldn't put his finger on but he had only met the witch a couple of times. "She wanted me to give you..." She trailed off as she came to a stop before him and dug into the messenger bag that she had slung over her shoulder. It was a unique bag in that it had what appeared hundreds of pockets and was in a rainbow of shades.

George thought for a moment that he saw a quidditch glove but was quite certain that he had been told that the witch had a job with the American Magical Congress that sent her all over the globe. "She sent me?"

"Oh, sorry, a letter. I'm trying to find it." Sian said as her eyes met his through her thick lashes.

He felt a jolt through him that he felt he had no right feeling at the moment. "Your bag seems a bit cluttered." He announced hoping to break away from the attraction he was feeling towards the woman. He didn't remember it from the last time they met. He had thought she was pretty, but there hadn't been the jolt he just felt by meeting her eyes.

"You have no idea, Sean is always telling me that it's more of a catch-all than anything else. I live out of it on the road."

George held back a frown, which he would have claimed came from her unusual way of expressing her traveling and not from the male's name she used so casual. "Sean is..."

"Oh, he's my... my brother." She announced with a triumphant smile. "Here it is. Celly would skin me if I lost it. It was like pulling teeth to get her to write it or at least that's what Tem said." She flushed slightly.

"Tem?"

"Celly's sister, my cousin." She said with another grin and when their eyes met this time, George knew he couldn't deny the way it made him feel.

"I didn't know she had a sister."

"She has a couple, actually." Confusion filled her eyes for a moment. "Anyway, here's that letter. You really should read it, could be important?"

Their hands met over the slim ivory envelope. "Really?"

"Earth-shattering even." She murmured huskily, her eyes locked on his.

"Oi, George." Lee Jordan called out as he came through the back of the store. "Oh, sorry, didn't know you had company."

Sian broke away from George and gave his friend a bright smile. "Sian Alcott."

"Lee Jordan, you're American, aren't you?" At her nod, he continued. "What school did you go to?"

"Smithson." She replied with a quick look towards George.

"You know anything about the USQL?" He asked.

"I know a thing or two."

"They sent a team over here for a couple games against Puddlemere United. Think they'll be any good?"

"We'll just have to wait and see." She replied and George saw an inexplicable flash in the dark-haired woman's eyes. "Well, I need to get going." She turned towards the redhead, "It was nice seeing you again, George, and meeting you, Lee."

Lee watched her disappear out the door and join a brunette standing across the way, who seemed interested in the display. "She's cute. How do you know her?"

"Remember Fred's blonde?" At Lee's nod, George explained. "She's her cousin. Came to bring me a letter."

"Are you going to read it?"

"Not right at the moment."

"Are you sure? It sounded like it might be important." He persisted but it would be years before George would open the seal of the ivory envelope.

_If you like it & want more don't forget to let me know by leaving a review!_


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. **

_Sorry to everyone for the wait for this chapter, although I can't be certain that anyone is really reading this. If only there was some way that I could know if I should continue this story or not. ~ Vivi_

Chapter One

_A Decision_

_ I had always felt lost in my family. There was never any real reason behind this feeling. It was just there. It was always like I lacked something, some bit of spirit that each and every one of my family members had, from siblings and parents to aunts, uncles, and cousins. Even my grandparents seemed to have this same ability to look at the world, at life, and decide, "that's what I want" and then go for it. Sometimes they failed but when they did it was still a spectacular sight to behold. More often then not, this wild, crazy, and often full-fledged leap into the unknown ended with what the person was aiming for but I had never found anything, that I felt was worth risking the jump for, but then I had always thought all the leaps my family took were monumental or even began as leaping..._

_January, 1994(HPY3)..._

"Are these interviews really all that necessary?" Tempest Rayne asked as she leaned over the side of her bed. Her red hair pooled over onto the floor and clashed violently with the orange quidditch robes folded neatly next to it.

Celeste Rayne simply gave her sister a bemused glance before slipping her homework into the bag on her bed. She was quite certain that even if Tempest's hadn't managed the impossible earlier in the year, she would still be questioning the need for each fifth year to be questioned about their future by their advising professor.

"To those of us who don't have a job already, of course, they are." Their cousin and one of their best friends, Sian Alcott, replied lightly as she fixed her lip gloss and peered critically at the chunks of aquamarine she had charmed into her chin length black hair. "Do you think this color clashes with my eyes?"

"I don't think so." Ashlyn Tanner, their other best friend and roommate, smiled as she tied her thick brown hair back with a red ribbon. She rarely paid Tempest's questions any mind and then only to tease the girl.

Their fifth roommate, Lydia Daniels, gave Tempest a dark look. She was far from happy with the popularity among the male students that the redhead had received and the apparent lack of punishment for the girl's actions earlier in the year. "You can't serious think that you're going to play quidditch for the rest of your life?"

"Nah, only til it gets boring." Replied Tempest nonchalantly as she tried to reach a book she found under her bed without getting off the bed. The result was her flipping none too gracefully onto the floor with a hard thump. "I'm okay." She announced getting to her feet.

Lydia rolled her eyes and left the room muttering over her roommates, an every morning occurrence since she had been place with them at the beginning of the year. The blonde had hoped being in the same room as the others would have given her a lift in popularity but instead she was lost to the inside jokes and silent conversations that the Rayne twins, if not all four had with each other on occasion.

"Come on, we'll be late." Ashlyn announce.

"To breakfast?" Tempest questioned, retrieving the book and grabbing her bag off the floor.

"To lose the chance to eat because Sean and Amanda have joined us." Sian replied. "I can't eat with them."

"That's understandable." Tempest replied. "No one likes to see their brother's girlfriend trying to eat his face off during a meal."

"Bad for digestion." Celeste added, sharing another bemused look with her twin as they ignored Ashlyn's discomfort over the relationship. Her crush on Sean was well known to everyone but the boy in question and she wouldn't be happy to have any of them acknowledge it.

_Later that day..._

"Miss Rayne, please come in." Professor Hilliard announced to the group of students waiting for their interviews. She frowned slightly as both redheads stood up. "Celeste, please."

Tempest sat back down and went back to talking quidditch with two boys who were also waiting, while Celeste crossed the room to enter the room Hilliard was using to interview students about their future plans and map out what OWLs they would need. She entered and took the seat the professor waved her to.

"So, do you know what you might want to do after you graduate from Smithson?" Hillard who had been at this most of the day seemed more than a little bored. The professor normally appeared this way and as a result had become a favorite subject for pranking at least among their group of fifth years.

"I'm not quite sure. I was thinking that I might want to become a healer."

"Healer, hmm." Hilliard pulled out a pamphlet and began going over what OWLs she would need as well as a number of wizarding hospitals that Celeste might want to look into that included a few outside of the US. Hilliard handed over the pamphlet that outlined what OWLs would be needed and then a few others on wizarding hospitals and other things healers could do.

Celeste left the room and sat down to wait for the fireworks that would certainly follow her twin into the room. Within moments, Hilliard's voice could be heard clearly through the door, even though Tempest's voice continued on in a light murmur that could barely be heard. Finally, the door swung open and Tempest emerged with a red-faced Hilliard glaring at her from the room.

Tempest gave the professor a jaunty wave before linking arms with her sister. "Do you think she'll owl Mom?"

"Whatcha say?" Celeste asked as they started across the campus to the quad, where their friends were sure to be.

"That I didn't feel that need to participate in a discussion about my future. That I've already been signed by the Bombers and really see no need for me to even take my OWLs let alone worry over their results and NEWT level courses."

"Oh, Temmi," Celeste tried to remain serious but couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. "Mom will send a Howler with that one."

"Sixth one this year."

"That's progress. We only got six altogether last year."

"What about Sian and Sean's? Do they count?"

"As a whole, we're a bit ahead of schedule. The four of us usually equal out about ten on a whole."

"What about the three that Winter sent me? Do those count?" Tempest grinned widely.

"Not on the mom scale but perhaps you should start your own tally on her." Celeste sent back an identical smile.

"What are you two grinning about?" Sean asked from where he sat with his newest girlfriend. Sian sat nearby and mimed gagging. Ashlyn just looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her.

"This and that." Tempest replied. "So, how did your meetings with Edwards and Durrant go?"

"Same old, same old." Sian replied. "Durrant said I should look into Aunt Melissa's department." She rolled her eyes.

"Edwards says I lack ambition." Sean grinned.

"What did you say you wanted to be?" Celeste asked, understanding the prompting.

"Hanger-on to my famous quidditch playing cousin."

"Hilliard lost it complete." Tempest sprawled elegantly on the grass next to Sean and Celeste sat down next to his twin and Ashlyn.

Sian put leaned onto her shoulder. "And you, Celly?"

"I'm going to be a healer."

"Overachiever." Sean mockingly glared at her.

"Hey, I'm not the one already getting paid a salary and being asked to become a spokeswitch." Celeste stuck her tongue out at her twin.

"What about you, Ash?" Tempest questioned the brunette.

She rolled her eyes. "Durrant must work for the AMC cause he told me that I would be suited for several departments and a shop would take a lot of money that being a muggle-born, I don't have."

"Didn't have the heart to tell him that you're already dressing half the school during off hours?" Sian questioned.

"You know it."

"I didn't know that you made clothes, Ashley? Maybe you'll get a job at my aunt's shop when you're done here." Amanda spoke up, getting a mix of looks from the group.

"Maybe." Ashlyn deadpanned causing the girls to burst into laughter and Sean to smile at her, which to the amusement of Celeste and Tempest, she fully ignored to start talking to one of the others situated near their group.

_End of the year..._

"Has anyone seen my lip gloss?" Ashlyn asked as half of her disappeared under her bed.

"I don't understand how you manage to design fabulous outfits with magic and still don't get that you're a witch." Sian rolled her eyes at the brunette. "Accio Ash's lip gloss." She let out a shriek and ducked when a half a dozen tubes came from various directions throughout Ashlyn's things.

Celeste bursted into laughter. "Sian, you should know that Ash never has only one lip gloss and that spell would only work if the caster had one single tube in mind."

"Thank you, professor." Sian replied sarcastically as the four girls started picking up the tubes.

"Oh, there's the one." Ashlyn grinned.

"I know that tube, that's the 'I have a wizard waiting for me and once he sees my lips will have to taste them' lip gloss." Winked Tempest.

"So, it is." Celeste grinned. "Who do you think it is?"

"Maybe Jared Ryan."

"He's cute, but she was chatting with Chris Everly."

"Nice."

"You're both wrong. She's trying to steal my brother away from Heather."

"His girl of the moment is Hailey." Tempest corrected.

"Who cares?" Ashlyn rolled her eyes. "I'm meeting up with Devon McKenzie." She smiled slightly. "I really like him."

"Oh, Ash, this is progress." Celeste smiled warmly at the girl. Since the beginning of the year, Ashlyn had been heading off with boys in the off chance that Sean would notice. She had suffered from a crush on the boy since second year and the others hoped this meant that she was getting over him.

She flushed. "Celly, here these are yours. I'm not all that interested in becoming a healer or a mediwitch." She handed over the pamplets from earlier in the year. "Although St. Mungos is near London and Diagon Alley. One day, I'm going to have a store there. It's going to out do all the other magical fashion outlets and sell clothes that..."

"We'll all want to be seen in." The girls chorused. They knew this speech. It had been the same since Ashlyn learned that the fashion capital in the magical world was London. They laughed as she made a face at them.

"St. Mungos." Celeste murmured digging out the correct sheet of paper. "Wow, they only take a small percentage of foreign witches and wizards in their healer program."

Tempest took the paper out of her sister's hand. "You should try for this. I mean, if

it's what you want to do."

"But England? You'll be so far away."

"I'm always traveling anyway and if it's the best at teaching what you want to learn then we'll manage." Tempest shook her head. "I'll visit when I have a chance."

"Which will be close to never." Sian shook her head. "I'll visit and so will Ash. After all, it is next to _Diagon Alley_." She ducked as the brunette tossed a pillow at her. "Now, let's get back to packing we leave in two days."

"I've got to go before I'm late." Ashlyn announced as she headed out the door, only to slam into Sean. She flushed as red as the Raynes' hair color, causing Sian to let out an irritated sound and the other two of shake their heads. "Sorry, Sean, I'm late."

"That's pretty normal." He looked over the brunette. "Hot date?"

"I'm meeting Devon for a coffee." She flushed before leaving him standing open-mouth.

"McKenzie? Ash is seeing McKenzie? What can she possibly be thinking? I thought she'd lost it when she was out with Sanders."

"What's wrong with Devon?" Tempest questioned. "He's a cutie."

"He..." Sean looked uncomfortable. "He has a reputation."

"I'm surprised Ash doesn't." She quipped back.

"I'm sure she does." Celeste gave her twin one of those smiles full of meaning that only her twin seemed to understand, causing the pair to burst into laughter.

"I didn't think of that."

"Of course not. They wouldn't talk around us."

"I'm surprised Lydia hasn't said anything."

"She has." Sian interrupted. "To Ash."

"And?" Celeste looked intrigued.

"Ash told her to mind her own business."

"Good for her." Tempest nodded.

"So it doesn't bother you that..."

"Ash is probably off with Devon getting busy?" Sian finished for her brother. "It's her business."

"And as long as it doesn't end with any complications, nothing for us to worry about." Celeste added.

"Yeah, then we'd kick her ass." Tempest explained.

_Please review!_


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. **

_Here's another chapter and yet no reviews. Oh, well! For anyone reading this, I will give a bit of an explanation. This story is a bit of a prequel to a story that I plan on starting the posting of as soon as this story is done. That is if anyone is interested.~ Vivi_

Chapter Two

_The First Step_

_ It was a simple decision that would bring me to London. When I put in an application to St Mungo's Healer's Program, I really didn't think that I would hear from them, other than a polite rejection. Therefore, when the letter came and I found myself really faced with leaving my family, I wasn't even sure that I could do it._

_May 1996(HPY5)..._

"England, huh?" Tempest asked as she sprawled across her rarely used bed in the dormroom that they shared still shared with Sian and Ashlyn. Lydia had moved into another room after the end of their fifth year and they had just never got another roommate. She wrinkled her crooked nose as she eyed her twin. "It rains there, a lot."

"So I've heard." Celeste hid a smile. This was as close as her twin would ever come to saying that she shouldn't leave. She knew how much Celeste hated precipitation of any kind. It always made her hair a bit wild, especially if it was to get wet and she had to use a drying charm. Her hair seemed to have a mind of its own at such times.

"Think there are any cute wizards there?"

"Maybe."

She rolled onto her stomach and met her sister's eyes. "If you find one, you must remember you can only marry him if you can come home every so often."

"Especially for your games."

"Only the important ones." They exchanged smiles.

"Maybe he'll have a twin."

"Oh, goody! I could imagine what Hedy Claudel would say if she knew that the only romance on my horizon comes from any brothers of the wizards..."

"Or muggles."

"Or muggles my sisters date or marry."

"Hedy really does like making up romances for you."

"If only they were true."

"I don't know." Celeste held in a laugh. "She wouldn't have much of a column if you settled down."

"I haven't even finished school and she practically announced my engagement in the last column."

"To a mysterious dark haired man."

"That would be Sean, you know."

Celeste gave a nod. Of course, she knew that the male that was most commonly seen in pictures with Tempest was their cousin Sean.

"What's Sean?" Sian asked as she came into the room. Her black hair was cut very short except the long fringe that fell into her violet eyes. Today, she had charmed an odd white streak in it that Ashlyn teased made her look like a skunk, a cute skunk but a skunk nonetheless.

"Temmi's love interest."

"That's wrong on so many levels, not to mention, I think it's illegal in several states."

"Not all of them." Tempest winked and Celeste couldn't help but laugh.

"That's disgusting." Sian shook her head at the pair. "But now it makes me wonder how long this has been going on."

"Ew. I'm not interested in Sean."

"Just checking. So, Cel, are you really leaving us for London?"

She nodded. "Mom's already seen to getting me an apartment."

"Flat." She raised her brows in question as she tried to figure out what Tempest meant. "They call apartments flats or so I've heard." She winked again.

"I'm so glad Mom's going to kill you while I'm gone."

"I say Winter will take her out before then." Sian grinned. "After all, she's all about appearances."

"Are we taking bets on this?" Celeste asked as she turned back to the mirror and pushed her dark red hair out of her face and anchored the mass with a headband. She bit down on her lip and gnawed it for a moment. "Am I making a mistake going away to get my healer's license?" She turned back to look at the pair of them.

"Of course not." Tempest announced and Sian nodded. "If it's what you want to do, don't let anything stop you. Especially yourself."

"So, I'm moving to London."

"So you are." Her sister smiled. "I'll miss you."

"We'll all visit." Sian added. "Even Ash."

"Even I what?" Ashlyn asked as she entered the room.

"Will visit Celly in London."

"Absolutely." She smiled. "Think there are any cute boys?"

"Ash!" Sian tossed a pillow at the brunette. "You need to stop being such a whore."

"Sian!" Celeste admonished.

"I'm not a whore." Ashlyn replied. "I never take payment."

"Ashlyn!"

"Celeste, stop yelling at everyone." The brunette snickered. "And I'll have you know Sian that I haven't slept with more than a fourth of the number of guys who everyone claims I've slept with."

"That's a relief." She shook her head and looked at her cousins.

"Ash, about Sean," Celeste started.

"None of this is about him or I haven't slept with him?" She looked at Tempest in confusion. "Okay?"

"If you say so." The redhead rolled her bright blue eyes. "Which ones did you sleep with?"

"Tempest!"

"Ah! There it is. I didn't think that you were going to yell at me. I was feeling left out." She grinned cheekily at her twin.

_Two weeks later..._

Celeste gave Tempest a hug and then one to Sian. She pulled away and watched Ashlyn give the pair hugs as well. Of course, she was going to be gone for about a month before returning to them, but Celeste was happy that she didn't have to start in London completely alone.

"We'll miss you." Sian announced. She looked ready to cry.

"I'll miss you, but I'll miss a lot more if I don't get going." Tempest shook her head and hoisted the messenger bag that Ashley had made for her in over a dozen colors and all sorts of magical pockets. She took the bag with her everywhere and lived out of it as she traveled with her quidditch team. "Owl me as soon as you get there." She gave her twin another hug. "Ash, remember that you're going to meet with the director of that camp and not any of the tamers."

"I'll be a good girl." Ashlyn promised. "Besides if I can make a deal with the camp, it will benefit us both and the last thing I need is a complication."

The two girls grabbed their bags and headed towards the International Portkeys. "What exactly is your business with dragons?" Celeste asked, once they had landed and felt like the world was no longer spinning. They headed towards the area where they would get their bags checked as well as their wands.

"Well, the camp at Romania is one of the largest and it provides the most dragon leather, but all of that lovely leather goes first to local merchandisers. As a result when I or any other clothing manufacturer needs leather they have to buy it from these locals who get a lot of money out of it. If I can convince the camp's director of it, I'm hoping to get leathers straight from the camp, in exchange for lower prices for me and more money for the camp."

"And that's good?"

"Most dragon camps are ran on money and most of that from countries that don't want dragons on their land. Romania allows dragons but the camp rents the land at a high cost. If my idea works out as I think it will, the camp will be able to purchase the land it uses."

"You know it's when you talk like this that people get confused about your reputation as a dingbat in school."

"Even before I found out I was a witch, it was all about fashion." She shrugged, causing her chocolately curls to bounce. She turned her attention to the wizard who was checking her wand. She gave him a smile and he stuttered in the middle of his sentence asking her reason for being in the UK. "Just stopping through."

Celeste held back a laugh as the wizard wished her a good stay before announcing that she was there for a training program. She listened to the wizard who had come in behind them as he asked Ashlyn out. Her friend politely declined but promised to look him up when she came back through. Celeste laughed silently as the pair exchanged information and Ashley gave him Lydia's name. They left and made their way to the floos on the main floor of the ministry and took it to the apartment that Celeste's mother had seen to for her daughter.

"Wow, I want my mom to get me digs like this." Ashlyn announced as she headed down the hall. "You have three bedrooms, expecting company?"

"Mom knows that you will all visit me." Celeste shrugged as she chose a room for herself and started unpacking. "I start training in three days and I won't have much time to spend here during the program. I heard its one of the toughest in the world."

"Aren't you lucky." Ashlyn replied sarcastically. "And here I am carefree, jobless, and at the moment shopless."

"You aren't jobless when almost everyone we went to school with turns to you for robes and muggle clothing as well as hoards of others. You're only shopless because you haven't found the shop you want in New York to be your base."

"Maybe I'll start a shop up here in London." She said. "Or maybe I'll just become the rage for healers in their downtime."

"Don't forget mediwitches." Celeste teased in return. "When I'm out of my trainee healer's robes, I'll only be seen in Ashlyn Tanner originals."

"I've come up with a name for my store."

"Really?"

"Since it's muggle wear as well, I thought I'd call it the Hidden Witch."

"I like that." Celeste paused in putting a few things in a drawer. "You didn't decide to come along to London with me because Sean asked Mindy to move in with him?"

Ashlyn came into the room and sat down next to Celeste. "Would you yell at me and call me a fool if I said it was. I've tried, Celly, I really have. Maybe an ocean would be a good distance to put between us. He'll be in New York with Temmi." She bit her lip. "LA has a pretty hot scene for young witches and wizards."

"Have you checked out Fitchburg?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Fitchburg is so old school magic."

"That's true but the Hidden Witch could be the start of a face-lift for the town."

"Temmi would kill me for starting a store so close to an opposing team."

"And LA would have been okay?" Celeste nudged her.

"Different division." Ashlyn shrugged. "I suppose that I'll have to put on my big girl panties and deal with the fact that Sean will never see me as anything but one of his sister's friends."

"Might be a good idea."

"You won't tell Sian." She flushed. "She'd never let me forget or worse, she'd tell him."

"And expect him to man up." Celeste snickered.

"We'd both be horrified, but for different reasons."

After Ashlyn left, Celeste's life fell into a pattern. She spent most days at St Mungos and had very little time to do anything else. Her mother had seen to it that groceries were delivered so most of her free time was spent studying or sleeping.

Sian wrote telling her of finding a job with the Department of International Cooperation, otherwise known to her as Aunt Melissa's department, even though Melissa Rayne had started campaigning for a seat in the Senate and was no longer running the department. Her new job would send her about to other ministries to deliver sensitive materials. This would allow her to visit Celeste on occasion without having to take vacation.

Tempest wrote to tell about an idea the photographer that she normally worked with for US Brooms was trying to talk her into wearing nothing but a skimpy bikini for the next ad campaign. It would mean an awful lot of money but she wanted to know what Celeste thought before she made a decision. At the same time, she said it was very tempting because as much as she loved quidditch and playing for the Bombers, she knew that there would come a day when she could no longer play and would need something to fall back on. Celeste couldn't help but wonder if she would be comfortable with knowing that in essence it would be like her body on display. She wrote back telling her twin that she would support her no matter what.

Tempest also wrote about how Mindy had moved in with Sean and seemed to be upset about his lack of ambition. The fact that Sean was comfortable living off the trusts that had been set up for him by various family members didn't sit well with his girlfriend. He had taken to following the Bombers when they were on circuit and spending time at Tempest's and other places to avoid his blonde girlfriend.

Ashlyn sent a letter to let her know that she had had a very good meeting with the director of the dragon tamer's camp in Romania. She had decided to head to Japan for a little bit. She would come back around because she had another meeting with the director of the camp. She added that she hadn't even been able to talk to any of the tamers. She had visited the director and went to a few sellers of dragon leathers to see if she could find a deal. She felt that there was a definite rise in costs but would have to wait and see what came of her meeting with the director. Now she was going to check on some supplier of silks and then stopping to see about pearls on her way back to Romania.

_Please leave a review!_


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. **

_Okay, I haven't got so much as a review for this story but since it was written as more of a way of getting to another story, I'm going to post the rest of the story and if I get a review or two I will post the sequel to this in case anyone is interested. ~ Vivi_

Chapter Three

_A Chance Meeting_

_After I moved to London, I got quite use to visiting Diagon Alley, but it was usually for certain things, like a visit to the Apothecary or to one of the booksellers for a medical manual. My life changed the day I met Fred and you, but I don't think that I understood the meaning in it. I really thought when I left the shop that I wouldn't see either of you again unless I went back into the shop or one of you showed up at St Mungos. _

_October 1996(HPY6)..._

Celeste clamped her mouth closed and tears welled in her eyes. When that didn't work, she bit down on her bottom lip hard enough to make it bleed but still she didn't make a sound. The smell as she breathed through her nose was almost enough to gag her but if she parted her lips to breath she was going to lose it and scream bloody murder. She was quite certain that this was not what she had in mind when she came to England to study healing.

"Not bad, Rayne." The pompous ass of a healer before her said as he clapped her on her back hard enough that she almost skidded across the floor. "Nice to see there's one of you, who's not a whimpering mess."

She gave what he took for a smile but the mediwitch next to him saw it for the snarl it was and cut in. "Celeste, why don't you go see Healer Galen? She'll give you some Skele-Gro."

"Take the rest of the day off." The healer boomed and Celeste wished she could move her fingers in her wand hand so she could see him committed to the hospital as a patient. She had just finished working over twenty-three hours; she could at least hope that it was a sick joke of some kind.

"He's a menace." Anna Galen said as she measured out a draft for Celeste. "You should be okay in a couple hours." She gave the blonde before her a smile. "Now, drink this and you're free to go. I'm sure you know all the procedures."

Celeste nodded and made a face before downing the potion before her. She grimaced and wondered how many times Tempest had had to drink the vile concoction. Finishing the drink, she left St. Mungos and headed to Diagon Alley. She needed to pick up a book on magical diseases that she had ordered, but it was still early and she had a few minutes before any of the stores opened. As she walked the length of the alley, spending her first free morning in the months she had been in England doing absolutely nothing, Celeste wondered what she was doing in England. She had thought she had known what she was doing when she charmed her hair to match the blonde locks that three of her siblings had inherited from their father. She had decided her red locks were too noticeable with the new ads for US Brooms came out with her twin wearing a mini-dress and the newest broom model from the company would come out in November. She paused to look at a brightly colored storefront just as the clouds that had been hanging around for the last three days decided to release their loads. She darted into the store that had caught her attention.

The bell over the door rang out and a male voice called from within the depths of the store, which Celeste now saw was a joke shop. "We're not open yet, come back in a half hour."

"I'm so sorry, but it's raining and..."

"I'm sure you won't melt." The voice countered as its owner came forwards from the back of the shop. He took one look at the drenched witch before him and burst into laughter.

"It is not funny." Celeste gritted out but the ridiculousness of the situation made her lips twitch in real amusement for the first time since she had arrived in London. "Well, maybe a little."

"I suppose you can stay for a bit and dry off."

Celeste flushed and silently cursed the fair skin that she and her twin had as redheads. She let her wet hair fall in her face as she pulled her wand from her soaked cloak. "Ahhh!" She dropped the wand and grasped her left forearm.

"I think it might be a good idea if you left."

Celeste let out a few gasping breaths. "Shhh, I'm trying to calculate the time it takes for the potion to kick in. Why didn't I ask for something for the pain? I know why because I'm going to let Horsley drive me insane. The pompous ass is trying to kill me." She pulled back her sleeve and watched with slight relief as the bones in her wrist shifted. "At least Anna's not trying to poison me, but no one is that nice." Meeting a pair of brown eyes that were watching her like she was going to do something unspeakable at any moment, she flushed and wished she had some of Ashlyn's ability to melt a member of the opposite sex with a flick of her brown locks and a look in her eyes the same color as fresh green leaves in the spring. "I'm sorry, I'm not usually this..."

"Strange?" He offered.

"I was going to say crazy. Put it down to lack of sleep. I'm a trainee healer at St. Mungos." She put out her right hand but continued to cradle her left. He gave her left arm a look, before grasping her hand. "I'm Celeste."

"Fred."

When he continued to seem preoccupied with her arm, Celeste explained. "A patient who took too much strength potion spent the last three hours crushing my hand and arm. Come to find out too much of such a potion works itself out of your system painfully." His eyes widened. "Unfortunately, I'm left handed. Only thing I can claim as different from my siblings." She added ruefully.

"A lot of siblings?"

"A few."

"What's that three?" He teased as he pulled out his wand and dried her off.

"No, more than that." She smiled. "Thank you."

"More than three?"

"Yes, more than three."

"You didn't go to Hogwarts." There was no question.

"No, all my family went to Smithson in the states, well except Misty."

"Squib."

"Worse."

"Worse?"

"Brain." Fred laughed loudly at this. "Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with having some sort of smarts but Misty is well..."

"A prat?"

"I guess that works as well as anything else." She looked out at the rain. "I'm sorry if I'm keeping you from something."

"Like opening the store?"

Celeste looked up and met another pair of brown eyes. Her lips twitched as she remembered joking with Tempest after NEWTs. "I'm sorry. I'm Celeste."

"George." He didn't look too put out at his twin.

"I really am sorry." She gave them both a quick smile.

"What brings you to our shop?" George asked.

"The rain." She quipped causing both boys to laugh. "Actually, once Fred gets on the ball and the shops open I might pick up a few things to send back home."

"For your younger siblings?" He teasingly questioned.

"Well, not Misty. She lacks a sense of humor to appreciate such a gift. But Drew still has a couple years with the other two in Smithson with him."

He gave her another smile. "So, what did bring you to Diagon Alley, and while you are injured at that."

"I needed to pick up a book." He made a face and she smiled. Neither noticed that George had left them. "I think I have more books in my apartment than I ever had in my dormroom. In fact, I think I have more books that all four of us in the room had in our room in that last year, unless you count Pest's quidditch notebooks and Ash's sketchbooks, which since they were mainly in their own hand, I don't think should count."

"That seems very sad to me."

"Well, I have until February before my schedule slows down."

"Sounds about right. I have a friend in the program but I think you might be a bit ahead of her." Fred nodded. "She was on our house quidditch team with George and me."

"What's her name? I might have met her."

"Alicia Spinnet. She was dating a friend of mine until just recently."

"I've met her. She's sweet." Celeste shifted. She was unsure what to say next. Fred must have felt the same way because he changed the subject towards the store's products. They chatted while Celeste made her purchases and she promised to stop by on another day.

It wasn't until Celeste flooed home after getting her book that she realized that she had left her wand. She took a quick shower and pulled on a pair of jeans, a black Bombers t-shirt. She picked up the dark blue dragon leather jacket that Ashlyn had sent her for her birthday. The cut of the jacket was far different from most that could be found in the wizarding world and showed her friend's ingenuity as well as her ability in fashion design. After brushing out her now blonde hair, she apparated to Diagon Alley.

She strolled down the lane getting more than a few admiring glances before pushing open the door to the joke shop, which she now knew was named Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. The store had a few more people in it and upon spotting a slightly familiar shade of red began moving in that direction. She found the hair that she spotted was both Fred and George. They were talking to a witch whose magenta robes would have made Ashlyn wince.

George was the first to spot her, when he happened to look up. "Celeste, you clean up pretty nice." He grinned. "We had a feeling that you'd be back."

"I can't imagine why." She smiled. "Didn't happen to leave anything important behind when I left?"

"Like a wand?" Fred grinned at her. "Is there by chance reward?" He moved away from George who he exchanged a look with before moving up next to the blonde.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked warily. The wizard before her was highly attractive and from what she had seen of the shop, just as devious.

"Dinner for a start and then, we'll see." He wiggled his brows at her.

Letting out a husky laugh that surprised Fred because in his experience blondes like her had a habit of giggling or hitting a higher pitch than their voice when he made them laugh, Celeste nodded. "I guess we could do that."

"Right now, so you can have your wand when you go back to St Mungos." He wanted to hear that laugh again and he was finding he was a sucker for bright blue eyes that sparkled with amusement, so he didn't see a reason to waste time.

"Alright."

"Hold on a minute, I'll be right back." Fred said before moving back towards his twin. "We're going to dinner."

"That was fast." George commented. "You don't know anything about her."

"It's just dinner." Fred looked back at the blonde. "She has a great laugh."

"That's promising, but then you said the same thing about Angelina."

Fred made a face as he thought about his ex. "George, Angie and I just didn't work."He shrugged and went to the back to get his coat before going back to the blonde. "Ready to go?"

She gave a nod and they headed to a bistro just outside of Diagon Alley. The evening progressed smoothly enough. Fred learned that Celeste and her large family grew up in a house outside of Fitchburg, but not exactly how many siblings she had. She learned that he had six siblings including George. They had a good time and when it was over they promised to do it again when her schedule would allow. She told him that she'd owl him when she found out her schedule for the next month. After eating, Fred had suggested a walk in a nearby park. They held hands and talked. What they talked about hadn't been half as important as the person they were with.

When she got home, Celeste sat down at her kitchen table with a quill and parchment but after sitting for several minutes with nothing more productive coming from her than a goofy grin, she decided not to write about Fred. It was still too early. So, instead she capped her ink and turned in for an early night.

She dreamed of a pair of brown eyes that were full of life.

_If you want to, leave a review!_


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. **

Chapter Four

_The Second Step_

_ After that first dinner with Fred, I found myself thinking about him and wishing to know what he thought of this or that. I felt absolutely silly about the way my mind constantly went to this guy who I had barely met. I have a close friend who has carried a torch for another friend for years, but I think I came to understand her better as the weeks progressed and I didn't hear back from Fred. I had thought that we had hit it off and then thought he wasn't actually interested in me because it was over a month before I heard from him again._

_End of November..._

"Well, if the quidditch thing doesn't turn out, you can be a chef." Ashlyn teased as Tempest waved her wand causing the turkey that she had made for an impromptu Thanksgiving at Celeste's flat to move from the pan to a serving dish.

"I'll take that into consideration." The redhead winked over at the brunette. "Celly should be home in about a half an hour."

"How did you learn to cook like this?" Sian questioned as she lounged on the couch.

"I have to do something with my downtime." She shrugged.

"She won't leave her apartment in New York without me dragging her out." Sean said as he helped Mindy out of her coat. She tsked at him for something.

Tempest turned her attention back to Ashlyn. "So, how goes life as a weary world-traveler? Find a shop in New York yet?"

"I think I have. It's right off of Stone Avenue. It has opening on the muggle side as well as the magical. I think it could work if we sanction off the two sides and bring in a couple charms to keep muggles from the magical side. Used to be a day spa that catered to both sides. It'll take a bit of work." She shrugged.

"But you wouldn't be able to travel." Sian shot a look towards where Sean and Mindy were quietly arguing.

"Actually, I met with a magical contractor, who would handle the construction issues and once the showroom is open I can hire someone."

"Can you afford that?" Sean butted in. "If you need some money..."

Tempest shot him a look. She had once told her sister that she thought that their cousin knew of Ashlyn's feelings. While she loved Sean, she could see him keeping Ashlyn around as it would if she agreed to let him back her financially. Mindy must have felt the same way because she looked like she had just sucked on a lemon.

"I can handle it. I don't want to but I can turn to Daddy's family." For once, Ashlyn sounded less like the world-traveler and more like the posh Southern girl she had been when she had arrived at Smithson.

"You're rich?" Sian asked wide-eyed.

"Daddy's family was... is old money in Charleston."

"Who knew." Tempest grinned. "Here I just thought you were a poor Southern girl."

"With a lot of fashion sense." Ashlyn replied. "Anyway, thanks for the offer, Sean but I'm good." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her ankles.

Tempest watched him eye the brunette's long legs in tights and a dragon skin mini. "So, things went well at the dragon tamer's camp?"

"Yeah, I believe it went very smoothly. Still didn't meet any of the tamers."

"Oh my god! What are you guys doing here?" Celeste stared at the group gathered in her apartment.

"We're visiting you, silly." Ashlyn replied with a smile. "Temmi cooked."

"Well, it smells good."

"It is good." Tempest smirked. "Meet any good-looking boys?"

"One or two." Celeste frowned slightly and met her twin's eyes.

"You got a letter while we were setting up dinner." Sian said as she picked up an envelope from the table. "Can I open it?"

"No, it's mine." Celeste took up the enveloped and studied the messy scrawl. She broke the seal and scanned the letter. A small secretive smile lit her face.

"Ooh, it's from a boy." Tempest announced with a wink towards her twin.

"Who is he?" Sean asked.

"What's he do?" Sian put in.

"What's he look like?" Ashlyn questioned as she stuck a finger into the mashed potatoes.

"That's a much better question." Sian said looking approvingly at the brunette. "Answer that one."

"Fred has red hair a bit long, you'd approve Sian, and warm brown eyes. Built a bit like Max."

Tempest nodded approvingly this time. Celeste knew her twin had a thing for Max Templeton since he had joined the Bombers a little over a year ago. "Built like a beater, huh? Did he play?"

"Yeah, him and his twin were beaters for their house team at Hogwarts."

"Nuh-uh." Tempest shot a look towards Celeste. "You're pulling my leg."

"Nope, they run a joke shop in Diagon Alley."

"This just looks better and better. Look Hedy can stop pairing you with Sean." Sian teased.

"Leave Temmi alone. She'll figure out how to have a life and be a professional quidditch player one day. Until then she can hide in her apartment and cook." Ashlyn smirked. "The joke shop, it has that outrageous display, right?"

"That's the one."

"I've seen your redhead or his twin. Very cute. If Tem's not interested I might be."

_Across London..._

Did you owl her yet?" George asked as they waited for the last few customers to make their purchases.

"This afternoon. She said she had this Monday off. Wood got me a couple tickets to the Puddlemere game. Thought I'd show her what real quidditch was."

"Is she a fan of the game?"

"She said that she's been to a lot of the Bombers' games. That's the New York team, but she's from Fitchburg originally."

"You said she went to Smithson? Didn't that one player come from Smithson? The one who set some sort of record? Tim Ryan or something like that. I think Lee was talking about him while we were at school." George grinned. "Maybe she has a thing for beaters."

"Then maybe the game wouldn't be a good idea."

"Fred, she's just a girl. Don't over think it, just because she's not someone we went to school with."

"She's perfect, George."

"There's no such thing." He rolled his eyes.

_Monday..._

"So, which team are we rooting for and why?" Celeste asked as she and Fred joined the line to get into the stadium.

"Ah, straight to the point, I like that." He grinned at her. "We're rooting for Puddlemere. Their keeper for today's game is a friend of mine. He was our captain for a few years."

"And now he's a professional."

Fred shrugged, "reserve. George was telling me that there's some student you went to school with who plays, broke some records or something. I think he said his name's Tim something or other."

Celeste let out one of those laughs of hers. "You could say so. Tem joined the New York Bombers at fifteen. Snuck off school grounds for an open call and became the youngest player to join a USQL team in the history of the league."

"He must have been something to see."

"She still is." She smirked at him. "I know Temmi very well. Still holds the title of youngest female to join the league and the first female beater for the Bombers."

"She's a beater?" Fred let out a whistle.

"She's the spokeswitch for US Brooms."

"I've seen those ads."

"She's getting ready to shook some in only a bikini."

"But can she play? I mean really?"

"Oh, I think so, and so do many others. A couple of your teams has actually be trying to recruit her."

"Which ones?"

"The Harpies, the Magpies, and the Prides."

Fred shook his head. "And here I didn't think the US knew anything about quidditch."

"Some of us know more that others."

The game ended with Puddlemere winning and they joined the team for drinks at a nearby pub. Fred watched as Celeste chatting with some of the players and their girlfriend/boyfriends. She seemed perfectly at ease and laughed over the stories that Oliver Wood told of their time at Hogwarts.

"So, you were even more of a troublemaker than I thought." She smiled up at him from where she sat.

"You could have just asked." He said, wondering if his reputation for troublemaking was something she wouldn't like.

"Oh, but it's much more interesting to hear about it from other people."

"Celly!" A feminine voice called from across the smoky pub. "I thought that was you."

Oliver let out a low whistle as he leaned towards Fred. "Who is that and how do I meet her?"

"I'm not sure, but meeting her should happen as soon as she makes it through your teammates. From there I'm afraid it's up to you."

The female in question wore a pair of tight jeans, slung low on her hips and a dark vest top, which as she neared appeared to be made of dragon leather and laced up the front with a cord of some sort. Her dark brown hair hung in thick curls to her waist. She made her way across the room sidestepping many of Oliver's male teammates and paused to hug the blonde next to Fred.

"I thought you were off to see that contractor? Shouldn't you be in New York?"

"Change of plans, he couldn't meet me until next week and I'm meeting Bubby about shoes."

"Bubby?" Celeste snickered.

The brunette shrugged. "Who am I to judge? He makes great kicks. We're working out a contract. I'm pushing for 70/30. He's asking for 45. We'll split the difference and end at 37."

"Fred, Oliver, this is one of my roommates from Smithson, Ashlyn Tanner."

"I guess that means you're not interested in the kicks?"

"We'll talk about shoes later, Ash. It's not all about business."

"My business is life, Celly. You are the overachiever of our group, you know."

"I am? I'm not building a fashion empire."

"If I was an overachiever than I would have apprenticed with a shop, not started my own." Ashlyn replied, with a wink towards the boys. "Besides my work lets me travel all over and meet new and interesting people."

"Ash, this is Fred Weasley and Oliver Wood."

"Ah, you're the Fred who sends mysterious letters Celly won't let us read and owns a joke shop with his brother."

"That would be me."

"It's nice to meet you." She shook his outstretched hand. "Call me Ash. I'm in the midst of putting together my showplace, while still selling my wears by mail. I'm a designer. And you, Oliver, what do you do?"

"I'm a keeper with Puddlemere."

Ashlyn smirked before shooting Celeste a look. "Hear that, Cel, he's a keeper. Well, darling," she pulled out the vowels with the Southern accent that she usual hid under posh tones, "how about a dance?" Oliver nodded and she smiled back at Fred and Celeste. "See you around, Cel."

"At least he's not a tamer." Celeste shook her head. "I don't think he'll mind too much because they usually don't, but Ashlyn is going to chew him up and spit him out."

Fred look towards the brunette. "But she looks so sweet."

"Believe it or not, she was until fifth year."

"What happened?" He asked as he eyed the couple on the dance floor.

"She got her heart broken." Celeste shook her head. "She's still hung up on Sean and he, I don't know exactly what he's doing. Sian, that's his sister, doesn't think that he knows but from what I saw when they were at my apartment a few days ago, I can't be too certain." She shrugged.

Fred looked over at her and smiled. "You're a really good friend to be so worried."

"I suppose so." She smiled lightly.

He leaned forwards and kissed her. "I know so. Want to get out of here?"

"Okay."

_If you want to, leave a review!_


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. **

Chapter Five

_That Moment Before You Land_

_Those months that I had with Fred were some of the happiest in my life. While I was with him the feeling of missing my family and friends in the States disappeared. When I was with him it was like there was no one else in the world but the two of us._

_March 1997..._

Fred snatched Celeste's hand as they walked down Diagon Alley. He grinned at her when she looked towards him in question and pressed a kiss to her knuckles before slipping his fingers between hers. He really liked this girl. It was just so easy to spend time with her. It wasn't like any other relationship he'd ever been in. Of course, the only other real relationship that he had ever been in was with Angelina Johnson during their years at Howarts, but it was nothing like Celeste and him.

"So, what do you want for your birthday?" She asked, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Hmm, how about you?" He gave her a wink.

She let out a laugh. "I think you've already got that. How about something else?"

They paused at a window display and at that moment, Fred felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find his older brother, Bill looking curiously at Celeste. "I thought that it had to be you or George. Who's your friend?"

"Celly, this is my brother, Bill. Bill, this is Celeste."

"Celeste, do you have a last name?" Bill questioned, causing Fred to look darkly at him.

"Rayne. It's Rayne."

"Like the painter?"

"Robert Rayne? That's my father or it could be Stormi if you like muggle art shops, that's my sister." Fred looked surprised. Celeste never talked about her family.

"Muggle paintings? Really?" Bill looked interested. "I've only seen a few with my girlfriend. They were your father's."

"Stormi's only in her fifth year, so she's not allowed to do paintings magically. She's got a bit of attention from some studios in New York and has been invited to do a show in Paris next fall."

"Really, I think Fleur would be interested in seeing that." Bill said his good-byes and left the pair.

"So, your father's an artist and so is your sister."

"One of my sisters. Two of my sisters work for the AMC as does my mother. My older brother is a dragon tamer in Romania."

"My older brother, Charlie works as a tamer there."

"Really?" She smiled. "Gus loves it there. Ash goes that way to contact her suppliers and drops packages from home occasionally."

"So that's three older siblings and three young?"

"Four and four, actually. Another sister plays quidditch professionally and I have another younger sister."

"Six sisters and two brothers, so nine kids altogether."

"That's right."

"You miss them?"

"Yeah." She smiled at him. "So, what do you want for your birthday?"

_April 1..._

"Happy birthday!" Celeste grinned at the twins.

"Well, Celeste, you come bearing presents and cake." George grinned at his twin's girlfriend. "I like you better all the time."

She gave him a confused look before shaking her head. "Actually, I tried to get Fred to tell me what to get the two of you but he wouldn't tell me. This was Ash's idea. I hope you like them."

The twins shared a look before opening the packages. Inside were absolutely identical pairs of dragon leather boots that put their brother, Bill's to shame as well as a muggle outfit and an everyday robe to go with it.

"It comes in handy to have a very generous best friend who designs clothing and owns her own shop." Celeste announced when they looked at her with identical looks of surprise.

"She got her shop then." Fred asked.

"It opens today actually."

"So, that's why she came in with such a big order last week?"

"Yep." She smiled as he leaned forwards to kiss her. "I hope you like it."

"It's great, Celly." George smiled. "We'll wear them to the party tonight. I wish you could go."

"Unfortunately, she has to work. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too."

"You two are far too sappy and I'm off to see how things are going downstairs. I'll see you later, Celly."

"Bye, George."

"Do I get a special present?" Fred asked, pulling her into his lap as the door clicked closed.

"I guess that I could come up with something." Celeste replied leaning towards him.

_Therefore when he first asked me to leave London, I told him no._

_June 1997..._

"Cel, will you just listen to me." Fred shoved his hand through his hair. He paced across the floor in her apartment. "I wouldn't be asking you to do this if it wasn't the best possible answer to all of this."

"Answer to what?" She questioned as she continued putting away groceries. "You can't seriously think that I'm just going to pack up and leave you like that. I love you, Fred, and since you've told me that you loved me more than once, I can't figure out how you think the best answer to anything is for me to leave you."

"Celeste, I'm not asking you leave me. I'm asking you to leave London and go back home until this is over."

"This is my home, Fred." She gestured aimlessly. "How do you think I can just leave? My job is here. I have friends here. You're here."

"You have to leave."

"Fred, I don't have to do anything."

"Do you understand what's happening here, Celly. There's a war going on here. My family is going to be targeted by Voldemort and his Death Eaters because not only do we support muggle rights but my little brother is best friends with Harry Potter. And because we are going to be targeted that means if anyone knows out about us, you'll be a target and people know about us, Celly."

"I don't care."

"But I do. Please, just do it for me. Leave London and go back home to Fitchburg. Be with your family. Be safe. I've got to know that you're safe. Nothing matters if you're not safe."

"How can you possibly think that I could leave you like that. I understand what you're saying, Fred, I do but I can't just leave you in danger like that."

"I love you, Celeste. Please do this one thing for me."

"Fred."

"Celly, please."

She met his worried brown eyes. "Okay, but only until this settles down."

"And then you'll come back here and marry me."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"We'll get married. That is if you want. I love you, Cel, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, surrounded by several little ones, maybe even a pair of twins."

"More than likely it would be triplets."

"Triplets?"

"My mom, her sister, and brother are triplets. Happens every other generation." She shrugged.

"Sounds like a plan, but you have to go home and stay safe until this is all over, please, Celly."

"Okay."

_ I would have done anything for Fred. So, I left London and returned to my family home in Fitchburg. The hospital in the town agreed to let me transfer the time I had spent in the program at St Mungos and I tested out of a few areas, which allowed me to finish my training as a healer, but I was in for a surprise about a week after I arrived back home._

_July 14, 1997..._

"You've gained weight." Winter Rayne glared at her younger sister. "Tempest hasn't gained an ounce. How is the even possible?" She moaned.

"She's acting like you've done this on purpose." Tempest murmured as she stood on the stool next to the one Celeste stood on.

"I feel like I'm going to barf all over this dressrobe if that witch breaths on me one more time."

"How far along are you?" Tempest questioned.

"Not quite three months."

"The father..."

"Fred's family is targeted by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He made me promise to come home and wait for him to contact me. I didn't know until I got home. I owled him but it came back unopened. I'm so worried, Temmi."

"None of that. I'm sure he's fine and so is his family. You'll have your baby and it'll be a great surprise for him." She smiled.

"He asked me to marry him."

"Then it will be an even better surprise."

"How am I going to tell Mom and Dad?"

"Stop whispering and stand still." Winter snarled at the same moment the witch pinning the dressrobes, long ago Amanda's aunt, breathed on Celeste and she darted off towards the bathroom.

"Is she okay?" Their other older sister, Autumn asked worriedly from a third stool. "Should someone go check?"

"Nah, she'll be fine." Tempest announced, although now that Celeste mentioned it, her stomach was a bit queasy. She took a steadying breath before heading in the same direction Celeste had gone, leaving a yelling Winter behind her.

A few minutes later, Tempest leaned against the cool restroom wall. "Well, since both of us lost our lunch I'm sure that it throw them off of the idea that you're pregnant."

"Temmi, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Can I move in with you before I tell them?"

"You have to ask?" She put an arm around her sister's shoulders.

"Thanks, Temmi."

"Yeah, well, we're going to have to do something about this morning sickness of yours, cause I can't be barfing in the middle of a game."

"Understood." Celeste smiled. "Let's go be bridesmaids."

"Don't remind me." Tempest smiled. "That green color is hideous."

"Ash would refuse to work with the fabric."

"Ash would have a fit over the whole thing."

"Too bad, Winter won't be inviting her to the wedding."

"Gus is bringing her as his date."

"We have the sweetest big brother." Celeste said, linking arms with her twin. "I'm scared, Temmi."

"Don't be. I'll take care of you."

"You always do."

The rest of the fitting went rather smoothly. That was until Tempest tripped over her newly hemmed dressrobe and fell off her stool. A quick announcement of "I'm okay" followed by a lecture by Winter.

Three days later, Winter married Alex Monroe. Her six sisters stood as bridesmaids. Their older brother and Sean finished off Alex's groomsmen, but then Alex had roomed with Augustus and he knew Sean from school as well. Ashlyn looked lovely in dressrobes the same color of her green eyes with darker green trimming. Celeste and Tempest noted that when she danced with Sean that she no longer had her besotted look. Instead, she simply look amused.

"Why, I do declare, Miss Tanner." Tempest grinned as the girl sat down with them at the table. "I believe you are no longer under the spell of my cousin."

"Why, Miss Rayne, I believe you may be right." She smiled. "I can't believe the time I've wasted on him. I suppose it's time for me to find someone else." She eyed Celeste. "When's the blessed event?"

"Ashlyn!"

"What she do?" Sian asked joining the table.

"Noticed the state Celly's in. I'm going to design a whole line of clothes around you. Celeste by Ashlyn Tanner. Oh, it'll be fabulous."

"What? I don't understand."

"Celly's expecting." Tempest explained in a low murmur.

"Tempest!" exclaimed Celeste.

"Expecting what?" Sian asked loudly.

"Sian!"

"Oh, _oh! _What are you going to do?"

"Have the baby and wait for the all clear to go back to London and start a life as Mrs. Fred, of course." Tempest rolled her eyes.

"How romantical." Sian fluttered her lashes at Celeste.

"And until then I'm moving to New York. There's a clinic there that has agreed to let me work up until I can't and then I can go back afterwards, if needed."

_ The surprise wasn't simply being pregnant with Fred's child. It was being pregnant with all three of his children._

_September 1997..._

"Temmi!" Celeste shouted from the living room, "come quick!"

Tempest rushed out of her bedroom to find her twin, lounging on the couch a look of utter bliss on her face. "Is everything okay?"

"Come feel them kick. The boys are lively today."

"Or maybe your little girl is kick their asses."

"Tempest, language."

"They're going to learn it somewhere." She grinned as she put her hand on her sister's rounded stomach. At five months pregnant with triplets, Celeste was already large enough to waddle and be mistaken for someone much further along. She glowed with that radiance that all pregnant women seem to have but there was a shadow in her eyes and she would often remark that Fred should be there to witness this or that. Tempest always told her that he could be there the next go-round.

"You're going to be the worst aunt."

"What? I'm going to be a terrific aunt, just wait and see. I'll spoil them rotten and be their very favorite."

"Of course, you are."

_If you want to, leave a review!_


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. **

Chapter Six

_Falling Down_

_ I gave birth on December 28, 1997. Your two nephews came first followed by your niece._

"God, you're beautiful!" Marco Torres announced as he snapped a few more pictures of Tempest. "You are perfection." He added as she blew him a kiss. "I'm in love with you in that one, now go change to the black one."

"Marco, you're terrible. Do you order all of your models around like this?" Tempest teased as she headed to the bathroom to change into another bikini. She wasn't sure how she managed to get talked into doing a calendar for US Brooms in swimwear. Well actually, she looked down at the scanty one piece she was wearing, she wasn't too certain that you could swim in any of it.

"Only the ones I like. Now move that tush of yours." He froze as the girl paled and swayed before steading herself on the nearby wall. "Tempest?" He and the others in the room moved towards the now very pale redhead. "What's wrong, love?"

"I gotta get home."

"You can't leave. We still have three more suits lined up for today," Marco's assistant cried out.

"They'll have to wait. I'm quite sure Celly's gone into labor."

"Identical twins." Marco shrugged. "Now, that would have been a picture."

"At almost eight months pregnant with triplets, I'm certain it would." Tempest snickered before moaning. "I gotta go. I'll owl you about the next shoot."

"Sounds ideal. I'll miss you until then." Marco called as the redhead hurried to change into her own clothing. "That girl is a pro. I love her."

"Of course, she's a pro. She's Senator Rayne's daughter."

"Should have known. They both have that lovely bone structure."

_Six hours later..._

"So, do the kids have names or do we call them by number?" Sean asked and received and smack from his twin.

"The little girl there is Hazel after our mom's mom. That one is Flynn and that is Gabriel." Tempest smiled at the three bundles. "I'm their godmother as well as their favorite aunt."

"You are terrible." Sian replied. "Oh, look at them. Three little redheads."

"I can't wait until they grow up and I can corrupt them." Tempest grinned widely.

"Tempest!" Celeste hissed from where she lay in the bed.

"Oh, look, my lovely twin is awake and testy."

"You are not corrupting my children."

"Sure I am." Came the reply, along with a roll of her blue eyes.

_After their birth, my life once more became more of a complex schedule that slowly turned into something close to habit. There was only one thing that was missing from my life really, and I suppose that it is just something that I may well have to realize has to always be missing. I won't go into what finding out about loosing Fred was to me because it is mine to hold onto as well as to deal with. I won't say that I understand what you are going through having lost your twin. I can barely imagine what it would be like for me to loose Tempest the way that you had Fred taken from you. Hurting you in any way is not the reason for this letter. The reason for this letter is simply to let you know of your niece and nephews and that I will be waiting until you are ready to enter their lives. And I am reaching out to you because you are the only one in your family who really knew anything about me._

_May 22, 1998..._

Celeste signed her name and sat down the quill to look at the letter. "What if he doesn't read it?" She barely whispered.

"He will." Her twin replied with more confidence than she felt as she picked Flynn out of his bouncy seat to give him a quick changing.

She didn't say anymore as she watched Tempest. Celeste was amazed by her sister, who had found herself having to drop everything and take care of the triplets after Celeste found Fred's name in the list that came out of those killed at the Battle of Hogwarts. She had never said a word to anyone simply asked for some time off from the Bombers and took control of the situation.

"What am I going to do?" She put her face in her hands.

"You are going to raise these three babies and become a world famous healer who heals something big." Tempest switched Flynn with Hazel and started on her diaper. "I'll be here for you. The family will be here for you. Ash, Sian, Sean, and even Mindy will be here for you." She finished up with Hazel and picked up Gabriel, who took the opportunity to grab a stray curl. Tempest made an odd squealing sound as the baby somehow managed to wrap his hand up in her curl and yanked hard. Gabriel apparently found the sound to his liking. He smiled and laughed at his aunt as Tempest put him on the changing table and disentangled her hair. "You too, Gabe." She questioned as she pushed the strands of hair back towards her ponytail. "Flynn did the exact same thing to me last night when I was putting them down for bed." She shook her head. "You three are supposed to do that to your other aunties." She finished up with the baby and drifted to the table. "His family will be there for you too."

"How can you be certain of that, Temmi?"

"No one could be family to a guy who sounds as great as your Fred without having a pretty terrific family. Now, I'm going to deliver this personally."

"No, Tem. I'll just send Odysseus."

"If I can't take it then send it with Sian. She has to go to London for a couple weeks in a few days. I have a game, so I thought if you want Sunny could come stay with you for a bit."

"That would be great. I need to talk to the clinic about returning to work in a bit."

"Sounds like a plan." Tempest felt horrible for lying to her sister, but she wanted to make sure that this twin of her sister's Fred knew the letter was important.

_June 4, 1998..._

"You want to do what?" Sian stared at her cousin as if the girl had finally been hit far too hard with a bludger. "Why? Cel will kill us all and do you have a good excuse if we get hulled before a ministry just getting over a civil war for running around with someone else's face?" She shook her head. "Not to mention that it would be almost impossible to get..." She trailed off staring at the flask in Tempest's hand. "Is that? How did? I mean this is crazy."

"Polyjuice potion. Misty makes it for me so I can get clear of mad fans on occasion. And since when was doing something crazy a reason for not doing it? Ash will give us a strand of her hair. I just need one of you. I'll be you. You'll be Ash. No one will notice. I swear."

"Why can't I be Ash?" Ashlyn asked. "Come on, Sian. It isn't like we've never done something like this before."

"I can honestly say that we haven't."

"Okay, so maybe this is something that we haven't done, but I have to meet this George guy. I want to be sure that Celly was right." Tempest butted in.

"Of course, she is."

"Please."

"Fine. But I won't be Ash."

"Good, I wouldn't want you to be me." Ashlyn stuck her tongue out at the other girl.

_Later..._

Ash watched the people in the room as they approached, wondering if they would get away with this farce. Maybe Sian was right in not getting really involved. They dropped the letter off without a hitch and then hurried back to the pub. "I know who you are but this is still really odd."

"I know. I feel a bit naked without my hair." Tempest returned as she stepped out of the shadows of the Hogsmeade entrance. Showing her usual grace, even if she did look like Sian, Tempest hit her hip on a nearby table hard enough to jolt it and staggered backwards into a pair of males. She gave them a brilliant smile and apologized prettily as only Tempest could.

"You should lay off drinking so early in the morning, Sian." Ashlyn smirked as she cocked her head towards her friend. "The AMC has loose standards and all."

"Ashlyn! She's going to murder us."

"Nah, Temmi never has a problem with us making scenes. Everyone expects it of us."

Tempest/Sian snickered. "Yeah, well, it's not your job. You have to worry about."

"Too, true. Sorry to keep you, gents, but Sian has never been really good at walking. Most manage to learn this feat by age two, but what can you do?" She shrugged before noticing who she was talking to. "Oh! Now I feel really bad about Sian and me bugging

ya'll."

"Ash, the accent's coming out." She looked met the brown eyes of none other than the country's new minister of magic. "I see. Anyway, sorry again."

"That's fine." He gave them a smile. "AMC?"

"Sian Alcott, I work for the Department of International Cooperation. I'm a bit of a glorified gopher." She gave a grin that was more Tempest knowing how to act around people after growing up in the Rayne household than anything Sian would come up with. "This is my friend, Ashlyn Tanner, she's a designer with a shop in New York. We're here at the moment with Tempest Rayne."

"I heard a rumor that Miss Rayne had agreed to attend a few meetings with some of our quidditch clubs."

"That could be but I couldn't rightly tell even you, Minister."

Kingsley Shacklebolt let out a chuckle. "Very good, Miss Alcott. This is my good friend, Arthur Weasley."

Tempest almost froze but years of being before people pulled through. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Weasley."

"And you." He smiled, but she could see the dark circles under his eyes. There would be time later, for now she couldn't intrude, especially since she was not her twin.

_If you want to, leave a review!_


	8. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me. Everything you recognize belongs to those who own the rights to it. The USQL and all its teams belong to Rowling and AZScorpions24 whose fic on the league can be easily found on my favourites. **

Epilogue

_Revelation_

George picked up the dusty envelope from where it was lodged under junk in a way that he hadn't noticed it in the drawer before. By the looks of it, it was rather old. It took him a while to come up where it had come from. It felt like his heart had frozen as it brought to mind a pretty blonde with bright blue eyes smiling at his twin with an emotion in those eyes that was unmistakable. He sat down at the flat's kitchen table and ran a hand through his hair. He felt rather terrible that he had never so much as sent a letter acknowledging her. She had lost Fred too.

She had been a trainee healer at the time. Her name was something like Kelly or Cindy. The way she had stormed into the shop that day had been so unusual. He had thought she was cute but Fred had been really besotted. Even the relationship that Fred had had with Angelina Johnson had paled compared to what was in his twin's eyes the moment that Celly, that was her name Celeste, came anywhere near or if she was even mentioned.

He flipped open the envelope and pulled out the sheets of ivory colored paper covered in a flowing script written in blue ink. At some point, water of some sort had blotted out parts of the letter. Sighing, he leaned closer to the paper trying to discern some of the blotted words.

He was quite certain that he stopped breathing at one point. December 28, 1997 and what might have been nephew. "My god." George murmured. He flipped to the end and stared in horror at the place where Celeste had signed the letter. He could barely make out her first name and then only because he knew what it was. There was no way to tell what her last name was or even a tiny bit of the address under it, except what was possibly New York but she had said that she went home to Finchburg earlier in the letter.

"George? Are you okay?"

He looked up to see Percy standing in the doorway. "Perc, would there be a way to fix this letter?"

Percy shook his head after looking it over. "Not really, if it had been fresher, possibly. Why is it important?"

"More than anyone could have possibly thought." George murmured.

_If anyone is interested I'm working on a sequel to this that takes place when the triplets are around age six. Leave a review and let me know. ~Vivi_


End file.
